US President Biden has announced the first gun control bill since taking office. However, a few hours after this announcement, another shooting took place, and especially nowadays, the so-called ghost gun problem that anyone can obtain and assemble parts over the Internet is also getting serious.
This is Kim Soo-hyung, correspondent in Washington.
<기자>
An emergency helicopter hurriedly evacuates a patient with gunshot wounds.
One person was killed and four were injured in a shooting at a furniture factory in Texas.
The culprit is presumed to be one of the employees.
[아멜리아 로드리게스/목격자 : 소리가 쿵, 쿵, 쿵, 쿵 하고 들리더라고요. 그래서 기계가 또 고장 났느냐고 말했어요. 그랬더니 그게 아니라면서, 총격이 진행 중이니까 빨리 도망쳐야 한다더라고요.]
In South Carolina, a former professional football player shot five people, including his doctor’s family.
The number of people killed with guns in the United States was the highest in history, with about 19,000 people killed last year, or 53 people a day.
There are’Ghost Guns’ that you can buy and assemble parts on the Internet.
No identification is required when purchasing, but anyone can easily assemble it while watching YouTube videos.
Equipment that modifies pistols for mass destruction is also available on the Internet.
President Biden compared gun violence to an epidemic and declared that he would stop these blind spots first.
[조 바이든/미국 대통령 : 범죄자부터 테러리스트까지 누구나 이런 키트를 사다가 조립하면 30분도 안 걸려 무기를 만들 수 있습니다.]
In the United States, where the constitution provides for freedom of arms, possession of firearms is considered a fundamental right of an individual.
It is also the reason why gun control fails every time despite repeated gun violence.
(Video coverage: Jungsik Oh, Video editing: Yonghwa Jung)